The Paradox of Institutionalization: The Roman Catholic Church in Chile and Brazil
Although the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America has become known as an agent of religious and social change, the majority of bishops there do not appear to advocate any drastic restructuring of church or society. This seeming contradiction may be explained by reference to the concept of institut...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
1992
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| In: |
Sociological analysis
Year: 1992, Volume: 53, Pages: S51-S62 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | Although the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America has become known as an agent of religious and social change, the majority of bishops there do not appear to advocate any drastic restructuring of church or society. This seeming contradiction may be explained by reference to the concept of institutionalization. An examination of the development of religious innovations in Chile and Brazil reveals that they originally emerged because of the episcopate's interest in defending the church against perceived threats to its influence by Marxists and evangelical Protestants. However, once the innovations became institutionalized—that is, established as an integral part of Catholic belief and practice—they set in motion a dynamic for change that would lead to challenges of both political and religious structures. |
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| ISSN: | 2325-7873 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Sociological analysis
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3711250 |